Coin controlled checking cabinets



W. F. STAGKHOUSE COIN CONTROLLED CHECKING CABINETS June 5, 1962 FiledMay 11, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. WELLS F. STACKHOUSE KENWAY,JENNEY, WITTER & HILDRETH ATTORNEYS June 5, 1962 W. F. STACKHOUSE COINCONTROLLED CHECKING CABINETS 4 Shet's-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1959INVENTOR. WELLS F. STACKHOUSE KENWAY, IENNEY, WITI'ER & HILDRETHATTORNEYS FIG. 5

June 5,1962 w. F. STACKHOUSE COIN CONTROLLED CHECKING CABINETS 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 11 1959 INVENTOR. WELLS F. STACKHOUSE J BYKENWAY, JENNEY, WITTER & HILDREHT ATTORNEYS June 5, 1962 w. F.STACKHOUSE com CONTROLLED CHECKING CABINETS Filed May 11, 1959 W G Fnvmvron. WELLS E STACKHOUSE KENWAY, JENNEY, WITTER & HILDRETH Q h 4 wATTORNEYS,

United States Patent 3,037,605 C(IIN CUN'IROLLED CHECKHQG (CABINETSWells F. Stackhouse, Andover, Mass, assignor to American Locker Company,Inc., Boston, Mass., at corporation of Delaware Filed May 11, 1959, Ser.No. 812,173 8 Claims. (Cl. 194-92) This invention relates to coincontrolled checking lockers of the type which are normally in unlockedposition permitting the patron to open the door and deposit his articlesin the locker and then, upon depositing a predetermined coin in thelock, to turn the lock to doorlocking position and remove the key. Thekey thereupon becomes the patrons check and can be employed thereafterto open the locker and reclaim his articles. Such lockers for public useare constructed in banks or sections, each bank comprising severallocker compartments. A coin chute arrangement leads from each lock to acoin receiving receptacle in the bottom of the bank, as disclosed inPatent 1,391,044, whereby a collector can conveniently collect from onereceptacle all coins passing through the locks in the bank, each lockbeing constructed to release the deposited coin when the lock is turnedto the door-locking position.

Patents 1,640,605 and 2,298,698 disclose a locking unit employedextensively in the above described checking cabinets. This unit containsthe entire locking mechanism including the coin controls and isconstructed to be readily placed in and removed from operative positionin the cabinet wall or door. The lock and key are so precisionconstructed that picking or unauthorized tampering with the lock iseliminated and loss of keys is limited to a minimum since the keys aresecurely retained in the lock except when taken by the patron as acheck. As will be apparent, these superior lock features are adapted toprovide trouble-free and uninterrupted service to the lockers.

Many thousands of checking lockers of the above nature but not coincontrolled are employed in numerous institutions, such as manufacturingand service concerns, department stores, sporting clubs, schools, etc.,each locker ordinarily being assigned to an individual. Each said lockerusually includes a lock and removable key, padlock or combination lockwhich are commonly of relatively cheap and inferior construction andeasily picked, thus defeating the purpose of lockers and resulting inconsiderable trouble and loss of checked material. Also the frequentloss of keys and the work of locker assignment and keeping theassignment changes up to date results in considerable trouble andexpense. Such difficulties are substantially eliminated in lockersemploying the superior and coin controlled lock first above describedand my invention herein contemplates certain new and useful featureswhich I have discovered and developed and which adapt this superior lockunit together with its several benefits to use with such institution orcommercial lockers.

The public lockers require payment of a predetermined coin for each useof a locker and the above described coin chute arrangement and commoncoin receiving receptacle are provided for this purpose in each bank oflockers, each deposited coin being automatically released and conductedto the receptacle when the door is closed and the lock rotated to lockedposition. The institution lockers require no such payment and I havediscovered a novel and relatively simple modification whereby thesuperior lock with all its benefits can be employed on these lockerswithout requiring such payment. Primarily this modification eliminatesthe above described coin receptacle common to several lockers andprovides a coin receiving box within each locker whereby the personusing the locker can retrieve his coin when he unlocks and opens thedoor.

3,37,605 Patented June 5, 1962 While the door is locked my inventionassures the retention of the coin as a partial indemnification againstfailure to return the key. Thus all lockers not in use are available toall employees or members concerned and any such locker can be usedmerely by depositing a coin in the lock, the removed key serving as acheck and key to open the door whereupon the deposited coin can bereclaimed. A further feature of the invention, hereinafter specificallydescribed, contemplates novel additional means for rendering thedeposited coins inaccessible to the patron but accessible to theproprietor if and when such use is desired. The production of meanswhereby a coin-controlled lock can be adapted easily to commercial typelockers of this nature and operative as and for the purpose describedcomprises a primary object of the invention.

The lock mechanism is constructed normally to release the deposited coinfrom the lock when the locking bolt is turned to door locking position.For reasons hereinafter described it may be desirable in some cases todelay such releasing of the coin until the bolt is turned to theunlocked position, and a further feature of the invention contemplatesadditional mechanism for performing this function.

The invention furthermore includes novel locker construction adaptedconveniently to receive the above described locking unit in locker doorsof'varying design, thus adapting the use of the superior lock unitconstruction, together with the coin refunding feature and additionalbenefits herein described, to various types of cabinets. The productionof such novel locker construction as hereinafter described comprises afurther object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention hereinafter more specificallydescribed will be best understood and appreciated from the followingdescription of preferred embodiments thereof selected for purposes ofillustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which-- FIG. 1 isa front view of a bank of checking lockers embodying the invention,

FIG. 2 is a like view illustrating a modified construction,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the lock unit with aportion of its face plate broken away,

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line i4 of FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary front view showing the lock in normal unlockedposition,

FIG. 6 is a front elevation showing another type of cabinet employing myinvention,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary front elevation thereof partiallybroken away,

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on line 88 of FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 7,

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 7,

FIG. 11 is a view like FIG. 8 but showing a modified construction,

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the lock, partiallybroken away and showing additional means for delaying the release of thecoin from the lock until the locking bolt has been rotated to unlockedposition,

FIG. 13 is a front elevation thereof partially broken away,

FIG. 14 is a like view showing the coin retained in a lower position inthe lock,

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view through the coin receiver andillustrating a closure gate therefor, and

FIG. 16 is a vertical sectional view on reduced scale through the lockhousing and illustrating a coin receiving box therein.

Referring first to FIG. 1 of the drawing, It) indicates a bank of parcelchecking lockers. Each locker has a storage chamber 12 and a closuredoor 14. Afiixed to the inside face of the door adjacent to its freevertical margin as by spot welding at 15 (FIG. 4) is a box 16. The dooris cut away at 18 to receive therethrough and into the box a coincontrolled door locking unit 19. A front plate 20 affixed to the body 19is of a size to cover the opening 18. The lower end of the plate isprovided with an offset lip 22 engaging the inner face of the door andits upper end is equipped with a lock 24 including a bolt 25 for lockingthe unit in place on the door.

The lock includes a rotary barrel 26 carrying a locking bolt 28 andadapted to receive a key 29 which can be removed only when the lock isin door-locking position. In FIG. the barrel and bolt are shown in theirnormal unlocked position. A latch 30 pivoted to the body 19 at 32carries a hook 33 on its free end disposed to cooperate with a notch 34in a plate 35 fixed to the barrel. A spring 36 normally turns the latchclockwise and when the barrel is rotated clockwise the hook enters thenotch and prevents further forward rotation of the barrel. An arm 38also pivoted at 32 is rotated clockwise into contact with the plate 35by a spring 39 and a finger 40 on this arm is normally disposed in thecoin slot as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 wherein it serves to support a coin42 that has been deposited in the coin slot 44 through the face plate20. Clockwise rotation of the lock is prevented by engagement of thehook 33 in the notch 34 when no coin is present, as in FIG. 5, but whena coin is present, as in FIG. 3, a feeler 46 on the latch 30 contactsthe coin (FIG. 3) and holds the hook from engaging in the notch. Thebarrel can thereupon be rotated to the door-locking position. When thebarrel reaches this position a shoulder 47 on the plate 35 swings thearm 38 and finger 40 anti-clockwise and releases the coin whichthereupon drops into the refund chamber 48 at the bottom of the box 16.This chamber is open only at its inside face at 4,9 whereby the patroncan retrieve the coin only when he opens the door.

It will be understood that new locker cabinets can be constructed toreceive the coin controlled lock as above described or existing cabinetscan be modified to receive the lock. In some cases however it may not beconvenient to place the lock within the door and cabinet as shown inFIG. 1, and in FIG. 2 I have illustrated a modified construction forserving such cabinets. In this case a lock-supporting box '50 is mountedon the outer face of the cabinet door 51 as by welding or rivets at 52.The lock 54 is mounted on and within the box in the manner already abovedescribed. A housing 55 for receiving the lock bolt is mounted on andaffixed to the front margin 56 of the cabinet wall. The box 50 isextended laterally at 58 sufliciently to cover the housing 55 when thedoor is closed, thus covering the gap between the housing and door andpreventing any attempt to jimmy the bolt 59. This lock operates in thesame manner as the lock above described and the coin can be retrievedthrough an opening 60 in the door only when the door is opened.

Looker cabinets are of varying shapes and sizes to serve varyingfunctions and in FIG. 6 I have illustrated a relatively tall cabinet 70having a full length door 72 which requires a somewhat modified lockingstructure. The cabinet wall is bent U-shaped, as shown in 'FIGS. 8 and'11, to provide the front cabinet margin 74 adjacent to the free marginof the door and in FIG. 8 a leg 75 thereof is bent U-shape to providethree forwardly extending lugs 76 notched at 77. The adjacent margin ofthe door is bent U-shape to provide a rear panel 78 having openingstherethrough for receiving the lugs 76 when the door is closed. A handle80 on the door carries a plate 82 extending rearwardly through a slot 83in the door and connected to a U-shaped panel 84 having its midportiondisposed forwardly of and adjacent to the panel 78, this mid-portionbeing slotted at 86 to receive the lugs 76. The slots 83 and 86 are of alength to permit vertical sliding movement of the handle 80 and panel84.

A. When the door is pushed to closexl position the panel margins at thetop of the slots engage the curved portions 87 of the lugs, thus raisingthe panel until it drops into the notches 77 and thereby latches thedoor in closed position. The look now to be described serves to lock thepanel in this position.

The lock unit 88 employed in this cabinet is mounted through the door 72and within a box 89 secured to the rear face of the door, as in FIG. 1.In FIG. 11 I have illustrated the cabinet as having a fixed U-shapedpanel 85 welded at 85 to the cabinet body portion that provides thefront cabinet margin 74. In this construction the lock unit is disposedso closely adjacent to the panel 85 that the lock bolt 90 is adapted indoor-locking position to extend into a slot or notch in the panel andthus lock the panel in door-latched position. In some cases however itis inconvenient and difficult thus to place the lock and the employmentof an auxiliary panel locking bolt, of the nature shown in FIGS. 7-10 ofthe drawings and now to be described, facilitates both the mounting ofthe lock and the locking of the panel.

As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 the auxiliary bolt is housed within abox or bracket 91 fixed to the box 89' and comprises a bolt 92 on thefree end of an arm 93 pivoted to the bracket at 94-. The bracket 91 andpanel 84 are slotted at 95 and 96 to receive the bolt and a spring 97normally pivots the arm to the inoperative position shown in full linesin FIG. 7. The arm includes a flange 98 on its rear margin disposed inthe path of movement of the lock bolt 99 whereby rotation of the lock tolocking position causes the bolt 99 to engage the angular flange 98 andpivot the auxiliary bolt to and hold it in the panel-locking positionshown in broken lines in FIG. 7. When the lock is rotated to theunlocked position the auxiliary bolt returns to the full line positionwhereupon the handle 80 can raise the panel 84 and open the door. Thecoin receiving box 188 is open only to the inside face of the doorwhereby the patron can retrieve his coin only when he opens the door.

It will now be apparent that my invention embodies a new concept inchecking facilities for employees, schools, sporting clubs, etc., byrendering coin controlled checking lockers available for this purposewithout charge. The invention makes available to any patron any and alllockers not in use and a locker can be used merely by depositing aproper coin in the lock, whereupon the cabinet can be locked and the keyremoved. When the cabinet is reopened the patron retrieves his coin, theservice thus being provided without charge. Following are listed some ofthe numerous advantages resulting from the invention:

(1) No assignment of lockers-all idle lockers available for use-greatsaving in number of lockers required.

(2) Eliminates all check room manual controls and supervision.

(3) Gives maximum security and provides relief from unauthorized entryclaim and claims due to lost or mixed articles.

(4) Problem of lost keys and replacement of keys and/or locks areeliminated.

(5) Provides full checking service to permanent, part time and temporaryemployees on either a no charge or charge basis, to afford unlimitedfree access to the locker without requiring service by an attendant whenused on coin return operation.

(6) Applicable to any type of locker manufactured.

(7) Quick and easy access to any locker by management whether locker islocked or not.

(8) Provides versatility of three distinct types of service which areeffected by merely inserting or removing a cashbox, coin control, coinreturn or period rental when collected in advance and using coin returnoperation.

The providing of locker service to individuals in numerous large andsmall groups has for many years presented a considerable problem and hasbeen attended with numerous difficulties, such as check room and lockerassignment operating expense, lack of security, claim hazards, etc. Thecoin controlled lock herein illustrated and described is a precisionbuilt unit that has been extensively employed for many years in checkingcabinets throughout the United States and Canada, and the use of thislook in the manner herein described is adapted to provide the freeindividual service required and substantially eliminate the problems andlosses heretofore present and sustained in providing such service.

In the lock above described, and shown in FIGS. 3-5 of the drawings, thedeposited coin is released and drops into the refund chamber 48 when thelocking bolt is turned to the door locking position. It is possible thata mischievous or irresponsible person might insert a coin into the lockand turn the bolt to this position While hold ing the door open. Hecould then retrieve his coin and take the key. The additional mechanismshown in FIGS. 12-14 is provided for eliminating this possibility bydelaying the dropping of the coin until the bolt is rotated back to theunlocked position in which position the key cannot be removed. The partsshown in FIGS. 12-14 which correspond to the parts shown in FIGS. 3-5are indicated by like reference characters.

An element 101 is pivoted on a pin- 102 to the frame 19 of the lock andincludes a downwardly extending portion Hi3 having a coin interceptingoffset end 104 and an upwardly extending portion 105 having an offsetend 106 disposed in the path of rearward movement of the locking bolt28. The element normally pivots by gravity to a position wherein the end104 extends into the coin path beneath the coin slot.

In FIG. 13 the bolt 28 is shown in unlocked position and a depositedcoin 42 is supported in the lock the same as in FIGS. 3 and 4. When thebolt is turned toward the locked position of FIG. 14 the element 101swings to a position bringing its end 104 beneath the coin. When thefinger 40 is withdrawn the coin is released and drops by gravity untilit comes in contact with the end abutment 104 and is thereby supportedin the lower position shown in FIGS. 12 and 14. The wall of the coinslot is cut away at 107 to facilitate this function. An element 120pivoted at 121 is moved to the position of FIG. 14 by a spring 122 whenthe bolt 28 is moved to the door locking position illustrated. In thisposition it closes the coin slot against the insertion of a coin. Whenthe bolt is turned back to the unlocked position the element 120 isengaged by the bolt and moved rearwardly to a position opening the coinslot. When this element moves forwardly to the position of FIG. 14 itengages-the free end of the arm 105 and positively holds the the off-setend 104 of the pivoted element 101 in coin intercepting position. Thecoin is thus supported in the lock until the bolt is rotated back to theunlocked position whereupon 'it engages the end abutment 106 and pivotsthe element 101 clockwise to again release the coin and permit it todrop into the refund chamber 48.

In some cases it may be desired to retain the released coins in thereceiving receptacle at the bottom of the box 16 in such manner that thecoins are available to the proprietor but not to the patron. In FIG. 15I have illustrated a vertically slidable gate 110 in the box 16 anddisposed in its downmost position to cover the opening into the chamber48. The gate is held in contact with the rear wall of the box by rods112 and has a forwardly extending top portion 114 so disposed that thelock body 19 when in place in the box prevents upward movement of thegate. The gate can be opened by the proprietor upon removal of the lockbody from the box 16.

In FIG. 16 I have illustrated a removable coin receiving box 116 withinand at the bottom end of the box 16. The box 116 is open at its top endto receive coins thereinto as they are released from the lock 19 and isclosed at its inner face at the opening 49, thus rendering the coinsinaccessible to the patron. The box 116 can be removed by the proprietorthrough the opening normally occupied by the lock 19 and a hook 118 canbe provided to facilitate its removal.

Having thus disclosed my invention What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A coin-controlled checking cabinet comprising a housing having achamber therein and including a door for optionally providing access toor closing of the chamber, means including a coin-controlled lock unithaving a locking bolt for locking the door in closed position, a boxsecured in face to face contact with the door and open at its front faceto receive the lock unit thereinto, means for securing the lock unit inoperative position to the door and within the box, latch means normallyretaining the bolt in unlocked position, means providing a channel forreceiving and guiding a coin to a predetermined coin feeling position inthe lock unit, means for supporting the coin in said coin feelingposition, means mounting the coin supporting means for movement intosaid channel for intercepting and supporting a coin therein andoutwardly thereof to release the coin, means normally moving and holdingthe coin supporting means in said coin supporting position, a coinfeeler, means mounting the feeler for movement in a direction normal toand across the plane of the coin at said coin feeling position,cooperating means for rendering said latch means inoperative to retainthe bolt in unlocked position when the feeler engages a coinin saidfeeling position, and means for moving the coin supporting means to coinre leasing position when the bolt is moved to =locked position, the boxhaving means at its bottom end beneath said coin feeling position forreceiving the coin and including an opening thereinto rendering the coinaccessible.

2. The checking cabinet defined in claim 1 in which the lock unitincludes a rotary key receiving lock barrel having said locking boltdisposed to rotate therewith and an auxiliary door locking bolt disposedin the path of movement of the first named bolt and adapted to be movedto and held thereby in door-locking engagement with the housing.

3. The checking cabinet defined in claim 2 including an arm, theauxiliary door locking bolt is mounted on the free end of said armpivoted to the door, and a spring disposed normally to pivot the armrearwardly to the door unlocked position.

4. The checking cabinet defined in claim 1 in which the housing and doorare relatively long vertically and the first named means includes arelatively long locking bar disposed vertically on and at the insideface of the door and means cooperating therewith for locking the doorclosed when the bar is in one vertical position and inoperative thus tolock the door when in another vertical position, a handle on and outsidethe door connected to and adapted to shift the bar vertically and latchmeans cooperating with the bar and lock for holding the bar indoor-locking position when the lock is in locked position.

5. The checking cabinet defined in claim 1 in which said box is securedto the outside face of the door and has an opening through its frontwall for receiving the lock unit into the box, means for securing thelock unit in operative position to and within the box over the lastnamed opening, and means secured to the adjacent front face of thehousing for receiving and cooperating with the door locking bolt tosecure the door in closed position when the lock is moved to lockedposition.

6. The checking cabinet defined in claim 1 plus a coin receiving boxwithin and at said bottom end of the first named box, the coin receivingbox being open at its top end to receive coins thereinto from the lock,being closed at its inner face to cover said opening and render coinstherein inaccessible through the opening and being removable throughsaid open front face of the first named box.

7. The checking cabinet defined in claim 1 plus means for interceptingthe released coin and for thereafter releasing the coin therefrom whenthe bolt is moved to unlocked position.

8. The checking cabinet defined in claim 1 plus latch means disposedbetween the locking bolt and the adjacent portion of the housing inposition to engage the housing and lock the door in closed position, thelocking bolt being disposed to engage the latch means and move and holdit in door locking position when the bolt is moved forwardly to doorlocking position, and means for normally moving and holding the latchmeans rearwardly to door unlocked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBeardsley et a1 Nov. 29, 1898 Hem Oct. 4, 1932 McCarroll et a1. Oct. 28,1941 Broussard et a1. Oct. 4, 1949 Sharp Jan. 2, 1951 Beimel July 15,1952 Beimel Apr. 14, 1953 Maurer Sept. 10, 1957 Smith Nov. 25, 1958

